Bilt Ropes In Quadra To Chalk Out New Identity

Paper maker Ballarpur Industries (BILT) has engaged Quadra Advisory, a New Delhi-based marketing consultancy outfit, to work out a new corporate identity.

According to sources, Quadra has also been asked to work out brand-building and communications strategies for BILT. Quadra is expected to submit its suggestions in about a month.

The exercise is aimed at creating a new corporate identity for BILT and also other paper companies belonging to the Lalit Mohan Thapar group. These include BILT Graphic Papers (earlier Sinar Mas India, which was taken over by the group earlier this year) and BILT Industrial Packaging (a company formed by merging Servall, a company acquired by the group, and the industrial packaging division of BILT based at Ashti).

According to sources, a new group identity has become essential after the four-way separation of the Thapar family agreed upon last year. The paper companies are no longer a part of the old Thapar business empire.

The brand-building and communications strategies because of the group's new product profile following the acquisition of Sinar Mas India. BILT Graphic Papers is the leader in the coated paper market in the country with a 35 per cent market share.

For the year ended December 31, 2000, the company reported a turnover of Rs 400 crore, gross profit of Rs 100 crore and net profit of Rs 6 crore.

The group now plans to expand the capacity of BILT Graphic Papers from 1,15,000 tonne per annum to 3,50,000 by 2004 with a Rs 200 crore investment.

While at present the plant produces coated paper, the additional 2,00,000 tonne per annum capacity will be for uncoated wood-free writing and printing paper targeted at the mass market.

Also, in spite of being the largest paper company in the country, BILT is not the largest player in the hugely-profitable writing and printing segment of the paper market.

The Hari Shankar Singhania group company J K Paper is the largest player in this segment. Overall, J K Paper claims to have a 40 per cent share of the branded paper market. The company plans to raise the share of branded products in its turnover from the existing 35 per cent to 50 per cent in two years' time.